The Little
by lifeisgood4u
Summary: Alfred and Arthur are little boys living in modern England. They become friends, but they've both got some serious problems. Can their friendship survive? Or better yet, can they help each other pull through? Little!Alfred and little!Arthur. No other characters from the show appear. Slight UsUk.
1. Your Arms Around Me

_**Whaaa lots of stuff! An author's note, prologue, AND chapter one! Well I hope you enjoy!**_

**Author's Note**

Hello and thanks for reading! I hope you don't mind but since this book doesn't take place in the Hetalia universe, I've got some explaining to do. I'll just make you read some of the author's note, then you can read the prologue and decide if you want to read the rest of the book. If you decide to, you'll need to read the rest of this note.

Know that this book features child!Alfred and child!England from Hetalia. It's not a fan fiction because as stated earlier it doesn't take place in the Hetalia universe. No other characters from the show appear and both Alfred and Arthur are normal humans in this.

Okay you can read the prologue now.

Read it? Wanna read the rest of the book? Great, I'm so glad it's good enough to impress you that much. I'll do some bulleting before explaining the two boys more individually.

~This book takes place in modern England. I'm American so I might not get the setting completely right.

~They both have British accents, they've been English their whole lives.

~This book is written in English (UK) to match the book's setting.

~Some chapters feature Alfred's thoughts, others Arthur's. It's pretty easy to figure out who's.

~The boys are in second grade, at the same school. The sort of school that's strict and makes the kids wear uniforms.

~I'm not a paedophile. I'm writing this because I need to remind myself that all true knowledge is achieved during childhood. The worse that happens in this book is the boys might kiss sometimes. Take that as you will, but know that I used to kiss my friends when I was their age. So it isn't necessarily romantic. It's hard to tell, considering their age.

Now to address Alfred. His full name is Alfred Fitch Jones and he's six years old. He lives with his gay parents Jackie and Robert.

He's cheery (if not a bit dumb) like his older self, but he's far more innocent and sweet. His hobbies are drawing and story telling. His favourite things are matchbox cars, cartoons, dogs, and colour.

When if comes to his relationship with Arthur, he considers them best friends. He doesn't quite get Arthur but he loves him anyway. He has a bad habit of calling Arthur 'Artie'.

Onto Arthur! His full name is Arthur Isaac Kirkland and he's seven years old. He lives with his single mum Samantha. He has no idea who his dad is.

He's extremely shy (more so out of timidness, not want to be alone), but once he gets to know someone he's completely tsundere. His hobbies are reading and listening to people. His favourite things are odd facts, fancy words, bunnies, and the colour green.

He considers Alfred decent but he's in denial of acting caring for the lad. In truth, he's very confused as to what he feels for his friend. Sometimes Alfred's just straight-up annoying, sometimes he's lovable. It's all very confusing.

That's it, enjoy the book!

**Prologue**

Alfred stared out of the classroom window, twiddling his right hand that clutched his pencil. Well it wasn't really _his _pencil, but he didn't mind. That girl hadn't been using it anyway.

"Artie, whatcha think clouds are made of?" he asked, not bothering to face his friend. Arthur sighed and pulled on Alfred's shoulder. Alfred paid no attention.

"They're made of water, twat." Arthur bitterly replied. Artie liked to pretend he was bitter, but Alfred knew Artie really did like him. I mean duh, they were bffs: _best friends forever!_

Alfred turned to face Arthur.

"Are you sure? And what's a twat?" he asked. Arthur raised an eyebrow, and Alfred decided to play along and pout.

"My mum told me. She told me about clouds _and_ twats!" Arthur replied. That stare he was sending Alfred was kind of scary, but but Alfred only deepened his pout and stared back. 'Cus Alfred was a hero and not a scaredy pants. Ever.

Arthur 'hmph'ed and Alfred did to. Arthur crossed his arms and Alfred followed. Arthur looked mad. Really mad. Alfred lost his pout.

"Stop it!" Arthur yelled, punching Alfred's arm with both fists.

"Oo~ow," Alfred whined, "I didn't mean it! And you still haven't told me what a twat is." He uncrossed his arms and with a hand rubbed his injured arm; Yes, it was totally injured. It hurt, and hurt things are injured. Duh.

Arthur looked away with his arms still crossed.

"A twat is a stupid person." Arthur informed him. Alfred frowned and looked down.

"S-So...so I'm a stupid person?" Alfred asked. He looked back at Arthur, and Arthur sighed and looked back too. Arthur begrudgingly uncrossed his arms.

"N-N...well I guess...no." Arthur admitted. He wasn't lying. Only twats lie, so he wouldn't.

Yeah.

"W-Well you don't need to cry about it!" Arthur yelled. No, said. He just said. And Alfred wasn't crying! In fact, he never cried, not once in his life. Because heroes don't cry, because crying's stupid, because he wasn't a twat ever never ever and-

Arthur kissed him. Alfred opened the eyes he had forgotten he had closed. Arthur's eyes were closed tight. A little too tight. Suddenly those same eyes shot open and Arthur pulled away. He covered his mouth and looked away.

"'Od mm s'ch a git." he mumbled into his hand. Did his mum really tell him all those weird things? He said such funny words sometimes. But they were still mean.

"I don't think you're...you're a git." Alfred put shyly. He stared into his lap and twiddled his thumbs.

"...really?" Arthur asked. Alfred wished he could see what Arthur's face was like, just to know if he was still sad. But Alfred was too embarrassed to look.

"Tha...thank you." Arthur said. Alfred sheepishly looked up. Arthur sat with his head a bit too high and his hands in his lap. He was looking at the teacher instead of Alfred. Alfred smiled anyway.

"You're welcome." he replied, laughing loudly afterwards. Suddenly a loud 'thrap' came from his desk. He let out a small 'eep' and looked down to see a ruler on his desk. Looking back up he saw the wrinkled face of his teacher. She was scowling.

"Quiet please." she snarled and walked back up to the front of the room. Maybe that's why Arthur had been sitting that way. Alfred straightened up and returned his stare to the teacher. He wasn't paying attention.

Arthur had kissed him. Which meant he loved him. 'Cus they were friends.

….

Why didn't other friends kiss like that?

Alfred glanced at Arthur. Artie's blush had faded. Alfred rested his cheek on his fist and looked back up at the teacher.

It didn't matter what other friends did. Him and Artie were the bestest friends ever, and only best friends kiss. Everyone else just needed a best friend.

And Alfred didn't mind things that way.

**Chapter One**

**Your Arms Around Me**

"_I'll spend forever wondering if you knew I was enchanted to meet you."_

Lyrics from Taylor Swift's 'Enchanted'

Let's go back to the beginning.

Alfred giggled and ran through the long grass in his new back yard, spinning around and not paying attention to the darkening sky. Until he tripped on his own two feet and came tumbling to the ground head-first.

A small screech escaped his lips and his hands met the ground before the rest of him, so that his face wouldn't end up smashed. He whimpered and sat up.

The sky was close to black, if it weren't for the moon and stars that looked like little holes in an old quilt. He shivered, his last thought reminding him of how cold it had gotten.

He lowered his gaze to find that all he could see around him was grass. Tall, yellow grass. He had known his backyard was big, but he hadn't know it was _that_ big. He frowned and rubbed an eye.

What should he do now? Where should he go? It was impossible to tell. He stopped rubbing his eye and sat down, crossing his arms. He felt a tear trickle down his cheek and he wiped it away.

He wasn't a cry baby. He was just lost. But he'd find his way home, right?

A soft sob escaped his lips, surprising him. It was very frustrating for a hero such as himself to be so desperate. Hero's never get lost. Ever. And they defiantly don't cry.

"A-Are you all right?" a voice from behind him said. Alfred turned around to see a boy about his age, dressed in a school uniform and some sort of cloak. This boy looked sad.

"Yeah. A-Are you?" Alfred asked, rubbing the last of his tears from his eyes. The boy shifted uncomfortably and looked at the ground.

"...I'm fine." the boy said. He was holding his own hand and his mouth seemed to be twitching. Alfred furrowed his eyebrows.

"No you're not." Alfred stated. He stood up and put his hands on his hips like he'd seen his daddys do so many times. The boy lifted his head and blushed. His face kept squirming, as if he didn't know how to react.

"W-Well, there's nothing you can do about it." he said sadly. Somehow he kept a stare at Alfred. Alfred pouted.

"I could still try to make you feel better." he said. He raised an eyebrow. The boy rubbed his eye.

"N-No you can't!" he protested. He turned around and started running away. Alfred stood there dumbfounded for a moment, before he came to his senses and chased after the boy.

He quickly caught up and to keep the boy from running more he wrapped his arms around him. The boy squirmed, but Alfred had been told he had a tight grip.

Finally the boy settled down, and Alfred swore he could hear a sob. He looked down to find the boy crying. Alfred loosened his grip.

"A-Are you okay?" he asked. The boy sniffed.

"D-Do I look okay?!" the boy retorted. Alfred frowned.

"...I'm sorry." was all he could think to say. The boy sniffed.

For what felt like minutes they stayed that way, Alfred hugging the boy just to comfort him. Eventually the boy coughed.

"T-Thank you." he said. Alfred shivered. It was just so cold today.

"I was just being a hero." he put bluntly, laughing. The boy coughed again, and Alfred let out an 'oh' before releasing the boy.

"My name's Alfred!" Alfred put proudly. The boy looked away.

"I'm Arthur." the boy answered. His voice seemed to drift off.

It was then that Alfred noticed his house was behind the boy.

"Whoa dude! There's my house!...Um, I gotta go now. But I'll see you tomorrow at school, okay?" he said. He waited for the boy to nod before running off.

"Bye~!" he cheered and laughed.

Why had that boy been sad? He'd have to ask him later. He could tell they were going to be super awesome friends.


	2. Reading Quietly

_**I've been working on this in all my free time at school, so I should have chapters up pretty quickly. These first few chapters aren't the most exciting but it'll get better as it goes. Thanks for reading!**_

**Chapter Two**

**Reading Quietly**

"_Tell me when you feel ready  
I'm the one, there's not too many  
Hold my hand to keep me steady  
Just to be quiet  
With you"_

Lyrics from Light's 'Quiet'

The school bell rang, signalling the end of the day. A ghost of a smile crossed Arthur's face, but he made sure to straighten his face before quietly walking out of the classroom.

All the other students were obnoxious, some even screaming at the top of their lungs, just because the day ended and such a miracle was damn worth some applause.

Yes, school ending was totally a damned miracle. What else could it be?

Arthur sighed and kept walking. Keep calm and carry on, as his mum said. Wonder where she got that from.

"Hey Arthur!" a voice from behind him said. It was that Alfred boy again, wasn't it?

Arthur whipped around and Alfred greeted him with a hug. Arthur was so surprised he almost fell over. Of course this set him right off.

"W-What do you think you're doing?!" he screeched. Alfred slowly pulled away with a frown. That boy was an odd one all right. Always laughing too hard or pouting. Unfortunately, Arthur couldn't tell if this was annoying or cute.

"Oh. Well hi!" Alfred said with a giggle. Arthur rolled his eyes and started walking out the school's front door, not even looking back.

"Arthur?! Wait!" Alfred cried behind him. Arthur paced faster. Alfred was still following him. So Arthur paced faster.

No, he wasn't running away. He was pacing.

"Arthu~ur wait!" Alfred whined. He was getting closer. Arthur ducked behind a nearby tree. Alfred passed him. Arthur sighed in relief. After a moment he pulled a book out of his backpack and put his backpack aside. He flipped to the page he had left off on and started reading quietly.

The princess was still locked in the dark tower. A dragon approached her from a dark corner she hadn't noticed until then. His breath smelled like blood and his scales were as sharp as knives. He slowly reached for her face and-

"Arthuuur!" Alfred cheered as he leapt for Arthur.

"Ack!" Arthur choked out. He dropped his book, forgetting to mark his place, and stood up with his hands in front of his chest.

"S-Stop!" he squeaked. He closed his eyes, preparing for impact. Alfred hugged him.

….

Why didn't that hurt?

Arthur opened an eye, and upon seeing Alfred he opened the other. Not that he wanted to see Alfred. He was just curious.

Alfred's eyes were closed, and he was snuggling into Arthur's chest. Arthur, not knowing how to react, awkwardly patted Alfred's head with one hand and hugged him back with the other.

"W'ch uh d'in?" Alfred mumbled into Arthur's shirt. Which felt weird. Arthur pursed his lips.

"I _was _reading quietly." he answered bluntly. Alfred opened his eyes and looked up at Arthur. Not that Alfred was short, he was just a little hunched from the fall from hugging Arthur.

"Okay." Alfred answered. He couldn't seem to stop giggling, which led Arthur to be very concerned.

"Eh...Are you all right?" Arthur asked. He then noticed he was still patting Alfred's head. He of course stopped.

"I'm all right." Alfred said, mimicking Arthur's voice. More giggling. Arthur sighed and Alfred shut up. Suddenly Alfred let go of Arthur and started running away.

"See you tomorrow!" Alfred called back. Obviously this was followed with more laughing. Arthur tried to bite back a smile and failed.

"See you tomorrow..." he whispered. He picked up his backpack and slung it over his shoulder. Then he picked up his book, flipped to a page, and started walking. Reading quietly.


	3. Get Some Sleep

_**Yay next chapter! I participially like this one. C: Enjoy! **_

**Chapter Three**

**Get Some Sleep**

"_Just close your eyes  
The sun is going down  
You'll be all right  
No one can hurt you now  
Come morning light  
You and I'll be safe and sound"_

Lyrics from Taylor Swift and The Civil War's 'Safe And Sound'

"Ohmygoshohymygoshohmygoshwha t'sthat?" Alfred chanted.

"That's my bedroom, twit." Arthur replied.

"Whooooa can we go in? Now?" Alfred asked. He pulled on Arthur's arm and gave his best puppy eyes. Arthur sighed.

"I suppose. But only if we're going to sleep." Arthur said. Alfred let out an 'eep'. Arthur scoffed and headed into his room. Alfred followed.

They found a sleeping bag on the floor and the bed already done. Arthur smiled briefly. Alfred cocked his head to a side.

"What's so happy?" he asked. Arthur shook his head.

"Nothing. I just didn't think she'd bother." Arthur quietly replied. Alfred gulped. What had Artie meant by that? Didn't his mum love him?

"Okay!" Alfred answered with a loud laugh. Obviously this laugh was forced. For some reason Arthur didn't catch this.

"You take the bed." he said with a sigh. Alfred obeyed. Arthur turned off the light and crawled into his sleeping bag. Actually it was Alfred's sleeping bag. Arthur must have been using that weird thing he called 'hospitality'.

Alfred muffled his giggles into his hand. Arthur sighed loudly.

"Just go to sleep." he ordered weakly. After a few moments Alfred's giggles stopped. A few moments of silence. Then the giggles resurfaced.

"_Just go to sleep!_" Arthur yelled. Alfred's giggles ceased immediately. He watched Arthur flip on his side. The side not facing Alfred. Alfred frowned and flipped on his side too.

Not that he was a copycat. He just didn't want to look at Arthur right now. Arthur would probably sense it if he did and yell some more.

A few minutes later and Alfred still wasn't asleep. He wasn't even thinking. Then he heard a lot of sighing. It sounded wet. Was Artie crying?

Alfred flipped over to face him. Arthur was shaking. Alfred got up and sat by Arthur. Not knowing what to do, he stroked Arthur's back.

"...You wanna talk about it?" Alfred asked. Arthur stiffened

"No." Arthur sniffed. He was still crying. Alfred crawled into Arthur's sleeping bag and snuggled into him. Alfred expected Artie to protest. The fact that Artie didn't was concerning.

Alfred closed his eyes and nuzzled his head into Arthur's neck. He couldn't help noticing an odd texture. He opened his eyes and saw the same blanket Arthur had been wearing around his neck earlier.

"Why're ya always wearing that blanket?" Alfred asked without thinking. Arthur mumbled something.

"What?" Alfred pestered.

"I-It's a cloak! When you were it around your neck it's a cloak!" Arthur chocked out.

….

Silence.

"Oh...w-well," Alfred twiddled his thumbs. "Well why're you a-always wearing it and stuff?" he asked sheepishly. Arthur sniffed.

"I don't want to talk about it." he insisted. For a few minutes Alfred pondered how to make Artie tell him. Then he kissed Artie's cheek.

"I'm not gonna make fun of you." he assured. Arthur squired a bit. More silence.

"Please?" Alfred begged hopefully. Arthur sighed. His sigh was very tired and very old sounding. Like a grandpa sigh.

"My dad gave it to me...before he left." he choked out. Alfred was about to respond, but Arthur interrupted him.

"Mum says he loved me. B-B-But why'd he leave then?" Arthur asked. He was crying again. Alfred scooted closer.

"Y-You're always talking about your dad...I just wanna have one too." Arthur admitted. Actually Alfred had two dads, but he didn't want to make Arthur jealous.

"I think he had to go." Alfred put. Arthur sort of stopped crying. Not all the way, but a little. So Alfred was helping. Right?

"I think, I think he loved you, but he just had to go." he confirmed. Now _why_ Arthur's dad had to go, he didn't know. But he bet he was right. Why else would Artie's dad leave?

"But why?" Arthur demanded. He sounded weird, trying to sound all authorityish when he kept hiccuping.

….

Alfred wasn't helping at all.

"I don't...know. B-But I think we should talk about something else." he suggested. Arthur was still crying.

"...I'm such a bad friend." Alfred said sadly. Slowly Arthur stopped crying. A minute later he stuttered out, "N-N-No y-you're no-ot.". Alfred pouted.

"Yeah I am. I can't do anything right."Alfred said. Arthur squirmed around to face Alfred. Alfred gawked and Arthur took a deep breath.

"N-No you're not. I...I love you...s-so that makes me right." Arthur put sheepishly. Alfred kissed Arthur's cheek again.

"Okay...I'm gonna go to sleep now, okay?" Alfred asked, just to make sure Artie wasn't sad any more. Arthur coughed.

"A-Aren't you going to go back to the bed?" he asked.

"Naw, you gotta be okay. So I'll stay here. Then we can both sleep." Alfred replied. Artie was his best friend. They both had to have a good night's sleep. No nightmares about daddies.

"Okay." Arthur answered. They both yawned at the same time and Alfred giggled.

"Goodnight." he said.

"G...night." Arthur mumbled. Alfred pulled Arthur closer and fell asleep.


	4. Five Minutes Away

**_This chapter's short, and I couldn't think of a song to go with it. Oh well. Enjoy!_  
**

**Chapter Four**

**Five Minutes Away**

"_The lights go out and I can't be saved_

_Tides that I tried to swim against_

_Have brought be down upon my knees_

_Oh I beg, I beg and plead."_

Lyrics from Coldplay's 'Clocks'

Arthur tapped his fingers on the windowsill. And waited. He'd been at this for a long time. Well it felt long. _Mum had said he was just five minutes away._

He laid his head down on the windowsill, still tapping his fingers anxiously. _Just five minutes away._

When Alfred got there, they were going to do everything fun Arthur could think of. They would play with Mr. Tomfoolery, and Arthur would show Alfred all his tea sets, and they'd watch 'The Last Unicorn'. It'd be perfect.

Of course Alfred would want to color. As boring (and stressful, but Arthur would never admit to this) as this was, he'd put up with it. Only for Alfred.

Suddenly he heard the crunch of tires on pavement and he looked out the window and there was Alfred, climbing out of his car. Arthur shot up and flung the front door open, charging down the stairs that led to Alfred. Alfred was giggling like a madman but Arthur didn't care, all that mattered was he was almost there.

That's when he heard a snap. And he fell. Pain shot through his body, especially through his knee. He let out a loud whimper.

"Arthur!" Alfred yelled at him. Arthur felt tears start to stream down his face.

"M-M-My knee!" he choked out, now crying loudly. Alfred knelt down and wiped a tear from Arthur's face.

"Don't worry, daddy and me'll take you to the howspitul!" he said. He had stumbled on the word 'hospital', showing that he wasn't familiar with the word. Arthur would educate him, if he weren't in so much pain.

A man climbed out of Alfred's car, and Arthur assumed this man was Alfred's dad.

"M-M-My knee...m-my m-m-mu-um." Arthur mumbled. Alfred's dad made an 'aw' sound.

"Sweetheart! Don't worry, I'll go get your mummy and then we'll take you to the hospital." he cooed before running into the house. Alfred played with Arthur's hair.

He looked so scared. And he wasn't even the injured one.

A minute of suffering and hair ruffling later, Arthur's mum and Alfred's dad ran out of the house. Arthur's mum pushed Alfred aside and kissed Arthur's cheek.

"It's going to be all right." she assured him. Arthur knew he shouldn't doubt it, but he did.

His mum picked him up, plopped him in the back seat, everyone jumped in and away they went.


	5. Tape Won't Fix It

**_Another short chapter, sorry. This one's pretty cruel though. I hope you like it!_  
**

**Chapter Five**

**Tape Won't Fix It**

"_I'll hold your hand until you heal."_

Lyric source unknown

"We're going to have to pop your knee back in. I'm sorry." the doctor said. Alfred gasped and leaning in closer to the door he was listening through. He wasn't really supposed to be there, but he shouldn't have been expected to not be. I mean, come on, his best friend was really hurt!

"B-But..c-c-can Alfred be in here? W-While you do it?" Arthur asked. Alfred covered his mouth. Poor Artie. Alfred would be there for sure.

"Well, I suppose. I'll go fetch him." the doctor said. Alfred squeaked and ran back into the waiting room. Well, he was gonna run to the waiting room, but he only made it across the hall.

"_Ahem_, young man. I believe someone wants to see you." the doctor put, almost crossly. Alfred gulped and sheepishly followed the doctor into the room where Arthur was.

Arthur was sitting on the room's bed. One look and Alfred could see all the dried tears on Artie's face. A fresh one was rolling down his cheek. He was holding his knee and he looked so scared, with that little pout on his face. Alfred ran over and hugged him as carefully as he could.

"I love you." he said into Arthur's neck. Arthur messed with Alfred's hair. Alfred looked up and noticed how red Arthur's cheeks were. Probably not from Alfred's statement. Probably from the pain in his knee. When Alfred got hurt he blushed a lot too. Alfred kissed Arthur's cheek.

"Okay you two, I'm going to pop it back in now." the doctor said. Arthur opened his mouth but nothing came out. Alfred pulled a stool near Arthur's bed and sat down.

"B-B-But-" Arthur began.

"I'm sorry." the doctor interrupted. He approached the boys.

"N-No! D-D-Don't!" Arthur yelled. More tears streamed down his face. Alfred wiped a few away.

"D-Don't cry...I'm right here." Alfred said in an attempt to comfort Arthur. Arthur hiccuped.

"B-But it hurts!" he argued. His eyes were wide in panic. He tried to get up but his knee kept him weighed.

"No! I don't want to! D-D-Don't make me!" he screamed. Alfred panicked a little himself, wondering what he should do.

A blonde nurse poked her head in the doorway, and upon seeing Arthur she walked into the room.

"Do you need any help?" she asked. She was pretty. Alfred liked her super long eyelashes.

"N-No!" Arthur yelled, pulling Alfred out of his trance. Alfred reached for Arthur's hand. At first Arthur struggled, but Alfred pouted and for some reason this seemed to calm Artie a bit. Alfred rapped his fingers around Arthur's.

"No, but thank you April." the doctor said. Arthur looked straight into Alfred's eyes, not once looking away. Alfred felt a little weird, so he looked away. He heard Arthur sniff, which only made him feel guilty, so he looked back.

"D-Don't let go, a-all right?" Arthur said. Alfred nodded.

Neither had been paying attention when the doctor pushed on Arthur's knee. Alfred heard a snap and Arthur screamed. Alfred squeezed Arthur's hand. Alfred looked at him and Arthur was crying so hard and Alfred didn't know how to make his friend feel better. Alfred felt so guilty and he didn't know why, all he knew was that his friend was sad and their was nothing he could do to help.

"I-I'm sorry." Alfred whispered. Arthur bit his lip.

"I-I-I-" he began. Suddenly his mum barged in and pushed Alfred away.

"My baby!" she said out of breath. She held Arthur close and he whimpered. She sat down and pulled him onto her lap.

"Oo~ow-"

"How could you not call me in when my own son was having his knee pushed in?!" she screeched at the doctor. The doctor pretended to write something down on his clipboard.

"He didn't asked, miss." he replied coolly.

"_He's my son!_" she said. She picked up Arthur and carried him out the door. Alfred hesitated, but after a minute he followed them. They were already in their car. His dad picked him up and carried him out of the hospital and into the car.

They drove in silence and upon reaching Arthur's house Alfred was shuffled so quickly into his own car that he had no time to say 'bye' to Artie. He pouted and refused to answer his dad the whole way home.

Next time he'd say goodbye. Next time he'd never let go.


	6. Faint Reconization

**_This chapter's cute, if not a bit nostalgic. Well this whole book is, but still. Enjoy!_  
**

**Chapter Six**

**Faint Recognization**

"_There, there, baby**  
**It's just text book stuff**  
**It's in the ABC of growing up**  
**Now, now, darlin'**  
**Oh don't lose your head**  
**'Cause none of us were angels**  
**And you know I love you, yeah"_

Lyrics from Imogen Heap's 'Speeding Cars'

Arthur sat peacefully at his desk reading. If it weren't for the discomfort in his knee it'd be any other day. He sighed and rubbed his cast longingly.

"Arthur!" came a voice from behind him. He turned his head and saw Alfred charging at him at full speed.

"A-Alfr-" he started. Alfred hugged him from behind him, squeezing him a bit too tight.

"OhmygoshArthuryourleg!" Alfred squeaked into Arthur's neck.

"I-It's all right-" Arthur was again interrupted.

"No it's not. I'm so sorry." Alfred gave Arthur a reassuring squeeze. Arthur gulped.

"W-Well I'll be fine, really." he told Alfred. It didn't work. Arthur released him and went to his own desk, to the left of Arthur's.

"Yeah, you'll be okay." Alfred said, surprising Arthur.

"Juuust as soon as I recognise your leg." he finished with a giggle. Arthur rolled his eyes.

Later that day, Arthur did his best to lift himself up from his desk. He required help from his crutches, and by the time he finished he remembered he needed his book and his backpack. He reached for his book and was unsuccessful. He let out a whimper in frustration.

Then his book was carefully lifted off his desk. Not by himself, of course. By Alfred. Arthur almost smiled.

"Thank you." he said sheepishly. Alfred giggled.

They both made their way to their cubbies, Arthur a little behind. Alfred stuffed Arthur's book into Arthur's backpack, putting it on his back. He put his own backpack around his front. Arthur blushed, what with being treated like a girl.

They carefully made it out the crowded school, Alfred reminding some kids to be cautious. Alfred helped Arthur make it down the stairs. Luckily no one fell.

"T-Thank you." Arthur said. Alfred looked at him.

"You don't need to say that." he replied. Arthur started walking home, and Alfred followed. A minute of silence.

"I hope it feels better soon," Alfred said. Arthur remained quiet.

"I love you," Alfred continued. Arthur's face felt hot. He couldn't think of a reply.

"'cus we're friends. And friends do that," Alfred went on. He seemed pretty happy talking to himself, he had a silly grin on his face. Arthur said nothing.

"You know, when we're older, we should get married." Alfred blabbered on.

….

Wait, get married? Arthur almost tripped.

"R-Really? What? B-But I'm a guy!" Arthur argued.

"So?" Alfred asked.

"Guys can't marry guys!" Arthur told him. Alfred looked hurt. He was looking away with his mouth slightly agape.

"Y-Yeah they can." Alfred claimed while twiddling his thumbs.

"How do you know anyway!?" Arthur asked in a huff. He knew he shouldn't be angry, Alfred was carrying his stuff. But what if he didn't want to get married? Maybe he did. Maybe he didn't.

Okay he didn't know.

"Well, I've got two dads." Alfred admitted quietly. Arthur watched his feet instead of Alfred's eyes.

"...Really?" he asked. Alfred coughed.

"Yeah," he answered.

"We're at your house." Arthur looked up and Alfred was right. About the house, that is.

"A-All right." Arthur replied. Alfred helped him up the stairs. Again by some miracle no one fell. Alfred opened the door and put Arthur's backpack on the floor. Arthur followed.

"Bye!" Alfred cheered and ran away.

"It's 'goodbye', git." Arthur mumbled once Alfred was gone. He sat down by his backpack. A minute of silence.

"I love you too." he whispered. If only he could admit it when he wasn't alone.


	7. Big Mouth

**_Another chapter! Not much to say here, but I hope it's good?_  
**

**Chapter Seven**

**Big Mouth**

"_My heart's a stereo  
It beats for you, so listen close  
Hear my thoughts in every no-o-o-te  
Make me your radio  
And turn me up when you feel low  
This melody was meant for you  
Just sing along to my stereo"_

Lyrics from Gym Class Hero's 'Stereo Hearts'

Alfred was in an especially good mood today. He didn't know why, but who could care? He was happy.

Oh wait, he remembered why. _He had learnt how to whistle! _One life goal down, a lot more to go. He was actually doing well, you forget that he's six.

He skipped and whistled and waved at pass-byers. It was defiantly a happy day.

He saw Arthur slowly making his way into their school. Alfred ran to catch up to him.

"Hi Artie!" he giggled. Arthur kept at it with his crutches. Alfred's happy day got a little sadder. He didn't like a sad Artie. But that wasn't going to spoil his day! He'd just have to cheer Artie up.

"I learnt to whistle!" he squealed. Artie just kept on pumpin' those crutches. Maybe he'd feel better if Artie whistled for him.

Alfred let out a long 'tweeeet' and Arthur paused. Alfred smiled and did his best to let out a rusty 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star'. For a few moments Arthur stood there admiring Arthur's greatness. But then I guess he got over it and kept walking.

"Artieee!" Alfred whined and followed him. Normally Arthur would have run away, but that was kinda hard to do with crutches. But boy, did he try.

Alfred followed behind him, letting out various 'tweet's as he went. And Arthur just kept going. He was such an optimist. Just another reason for Alfred to love him. It was _most _defiantly a happy day.

Two hours later, Alfred was bored. The teacher wanted him to put some numbers together, or 'add', as Arthur put it. Whatever it was, it was boring. Maybe it wouldn't be if he whistled while he worked. Like Robert (one of his daddies) said, Disney gave a many advice.

He let out a high, long 'tweeeet'. One kid looked up, but he quickly went back to his work. Alfred covered his mouth to hide his squeals. Then he uncovered his mouth a whistled all of 'Someday My Prince Will Come'. This time a few more kids looked up, but they quickly lost interest. Alfred couldn't believe his luck. While everyone else had to work, all he had to do was whistle! He smiled, a kind of toothy, oversized smile. The best kind.

But wait. Arthur was working. Alfred couldn't be happy if Arthur wasn't happy. Arthur was his Artie. They were best friends forever: bffs. And bffs don't let other bffs be sad.

Arthur nudged Arthur with his elbow. He whispered, "Hey Artie! I'm gonna teach you to whistle!". Arthur promptly ignored him.

"Hey Artie! I'm gonna teach you to whistle!" Alfred whistled a little too loud. The teacher looked 'displeased', as Artie would put it. She walked over to the left of Alfred's desk. Alfred gulped.

"You two will be staying in for recess. I hope you're happy." she snarled and walked back to the front of the room.

Okay, Alfred wasn't super happy any-more. But at least he got to stay in with Artie.

Alfred sat at his desk, one hand gripping the desk and the other twiddling a pencil. Well actually it was his left hand twiddling the pencil. He was left-handed. Artie called this 'an odd, unique trait'. Which Alfred thought was a good thing. Probably.

"I can't believe you landed us in detention." Arthur grumbled. Alfred giggled.

"Well," he mimicked Arthur's voice, "actually it's a _lunch _detention." Arthur rolled his eyes. Alfred went into a fit of giggles.

The only reason they were even talking was because the teacher was 'out to lunch'. She had said she would come back, but Alfred didn't think she would. Until class started, that is.

"You're such a troublemaker." Arthur grumbled. Alfred stopped giggling and tapped his chin while he thought of a response.

"Your tongue is sticking out." Arthur informed him. Alfred tried to see if this was true, but he only ended up cross-eyed and in another giggle fit.

"If I could hit you, I would." Arthur stated bitterly. Alfred uncrossed his eyes and stopped giggling.

"You might," he admitted, "but you'd feel sorry." He rested his cheek in his palm and tapped his fingers on the desk with his other hand.

"Whatever." Arthur quietly replied.

Alfred whistled, and Arthur sat there being grumpy. Maybe it wasn't such a happy day afterall.


	8. I'll Protect You

**_Sorry, this chapter's short and depressing. But eh, that's how I've been feeling lately..._  
**

**Chapter Eight**

**I'll Protect You**

"_You can't run when you're holding suitcases  
It's a new day throw away your mistakes and open up your heart  
Lay down your guard, you don't have to be afraid "_

Lyrics from Dara Maclean's 'Suitcases'

"Come on Arthur!" Alfred giggled. Arthur sighed and dragged himself behind Alfred.

"Could you go a little slower?" he asked, annoyed.

"I'm getting my crutches off next week." he continued. Alfred let out an exaggerated gasp and ran back to Arthur. He clapped and did his best to gently hug Arthur.

"Yaa~ay, my Artie's getting off his crutches!" he cheered. He kissed Arthur's cheek and Arthur flushed. Arthur wiped his cheek clean.

"Would you not do that in public?" he asked. He didn't care _how _many dads Alfred had, he wasn't going to look like a weirdo in front of everyone. Unfortunately, he already looked odd. A couple of boys from their grade snickered as Alfred and him walked by. They were just being rude, and rude boys weren't any better than the rest of us. But they still left a throbbing pain in Arthur's chest.

"A-Are you okay?" Alfred asked. Arthur wiped a stray tear from his eye.

"I-I'm fine." he stuttered. Stupid meanies. Being stupid mean. He glanced at the two chuckling boys, and Alfred noticed this glance and walked over to the boys. Arthur stopped in his tracks. Was he still breathing? Great, now he was asking himself silly girly questions. He felt another tear fall, and he quickly rubbed it away. He didn't want to cry, ever. But especially not in front of everyone. But he couldn't help it. Another tear fell. He persistently wiped it away. He didn't want to cry. Please, not here. And God what was Alfred doing?

"Hey, uh, Joey?" Alfred began. Arthur wished he could cover his ears and run away, but all he did was stand and watch.

"I think you kinda made Artie sad. Could you guys say sorry to him?" Alfred asked politely. Like that was going to make any difference. Arthur would have face-palmed if he weren't so shaken up. The boys smirked at each-other and shook their heads.

"Hey, you guys! That's my bff! Best frie-" Alfred started.

"Yeah, I know what a 'bff' is." one of the boy interrupted. He rolled his eyes and scowled and started to walk away. The other boy stuck out his tongue and followed.

"But-" The bell rang and Arthur was so embarrassed, he ran into the bathroom and locked the door. Luckily he was alone. He sat against the wall and cried into his hands.

Why was he such a sap? Those boys shouldn't have mattered to him. They were just bullies. God he couldn't believe he was using that term. Who came up with these words? Bugs bunny?

For someone thinking about bugs bunny, he was crying awfully hard. His whole body shook and he didn't care, he just wanted it to stop, for everything to stop, to just shut up and let him rest. Let him rest until the whole world was gone.

That's when Alfred ran in. He sat beside Arthur and wiped a few tears from his eyes. Arthur looked into his eyes and he couldn't believe he was so mad at that innocent face, just for trying to protect him. Which sounded as girly as ever, but who could care when they're crying in a bathroom?

"It's okay Arthur. They're just poop-heads, a-and I won't let them hurt you. I promise." Alfred whispered. He squeezed Arthur gently. Arthur cried on.

After a few minutes of hair rustling and shushing later, Arthur calmed down.

"I-I'm reading to go. T-To class." he informed. Alfred smiled sadly.

"Okay. B-But I think you should wash your face first." Alfred replied. So Arthur did.

After drying his hands, he paused, before kissing Alfred firmly on the cheek.

"T-T-Thank you." he mumbled. Alfred bit back a giggle and kissed Arthur's head.

"Yeah, you're welcome." Alfred said. And with that they both made their way to class.


	9. Learning To Love

**_Baw what why are all these chapters short and depressing? Help I can't write._  
**

**Chapter Nine**

**Learning To Love**

"_At least out loud,  
I won't say I'm in love"_

Lyrics from Hercules' 'I Won't Say (I'm In Love)'

Alfred tried to make sense of the words in front of him. As much as he loved a good story, words were sometimes really hard to read. He felt, as Arthur had said, confounded. Which meant confused. Maybe.

He felt something warm scootch next to him on his left and when he looked there was Arthur, blushing, as expected.

"Aa~aaw, hi Artie!" Alfred cooed. He messed with Arthur's hair and Arthur scootched closer. Alfred giggled.

"Shut up gi- I mean-" Arthur grumbled and continued to mumble things into Alfred's arm. Alfred was kinda annoyed so he moved his arm so it was around Arthur. Arthur just sunk in.

The boys from yesterday sat a few feet away, chuckling. Arthur looked upset but did nothing. Alfred scrunched his face and promptly ignored them. One of the boys whispered something and the other laughed. Alfred opened his mouth to protest but nothing came out. He closed his eyes and lowered his eyebrows, staring at the boys. For the moment he felt a little evil, stroking the hair of his peasant and staring at his lower subjects while he plotted. Only he wasn't evil. He was a hero. So nobody was a peasant and his plan was 100% good...well it would be, if he had a plan.

He heard Arthur mumble something and Alfred continued to stroke Arthur's head protectively. Arthur's mumbling got louder and he finally swapped Alfred's hand away.

"Stop that!" he grumbled. Alfred felt a lump in his throat.

"S-Sorry." he whispered. Arthur stopped mumbling and lay still, hopefully content with being with Alfred. The bell rang and he got up, moving to his cubbie without a word to Alfred. Alfred squished his face in his palms a bit before getting up. He was just so frustrated today. Arthur started to make his way out of the classroom and Alfred grabbed his books and shoved them into his backpack in a hurry, slinging his backpack over his shoulder and running after Arthur. For a boy on crutches he was awfully fast.

….

Oh yeah, Artie wasn't on crutches. That explained how he was able to sit with Alfred, and move away so quickly.

"Artie wait!" Alfred cried. Arthur slowed down, allowing Alfred to catch up. Alfred slung his arm around Arthur's shoulder.

"Dude, I _just _remembered you got off your crutches!" Alfred gasped out. Arthur rolled his eyes.

"I've been off them all day, git." he pointed out.

"...Oh." Alfred replied with a fake laugh. A few moments of silence.

"So, you wanna, uh, hang out this weekend?" Alfred asked hopefully. It'd been a while since he'd asked that and been told no. Arthur sighed.

"Just say 'play date'." he grumbled. Alfred waited for him to continue. He didn't.

"Yeah, okaa~ay...but, uh, do you wanna-" Alfred started.

"O-Of course I do!" Arthur interrupted. He kissed Alfred's cheek. Alfred's smile was a little too goofy.

"Yeah~." Alfred mumbled. He couldn't think of anything else to say.

"I-I'm home now, so-" Arthur started. He was interrupted with a kiss on the cheek from Alfred.

"Bye bye!" Alfred cooed and waved and Arthur made his way into his house. Alfred smiled and skipped along to his own home.

He wondered why those other boys thought they were weird or something. They must just be jealous of their 'cuteness', as Alfred's daddies put it. That was okay. Just so long as Alfred could keep walking Arthur home.


	10. We're Equal

_**I'm starting to actually like Arthur's 'mum'. She may be a bit terrible, but she's just so easy to relate to (for a villain). She's a bit of the worst of us, and she reminds me of that.**_

Maybe I like her because of a monologue I wrote for theater class about her. She was just looking over her life and her son, and she really does care. She's just not the best at showing it.

I'll stop now.

**Chapter Ten**

**We're Equal**

"_And I can't change_

_Even if I tried_

_Even if I wanted to_

_And I can't change_

_Even if I tried_

_Even if I wanted to_

_My love, my love, my love_

_She keeps me warm"_

Lyrics from Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' 'Same Love'

"A-And the ugly duckling...the ugly duckling...aahhh..." Alfred licked his lips. Arthur rolled his eyes and pulled his book closer to him.

"It says, 'the little duckling said with tears in his eyes, "I'm lost"'" Arthur corrected. Alfred covered his mouth.

"Aaawww, th'ts su sad." Alfred cooed. Arthur rolled his eyes and bit back a smile.

"I suppose," he agreed. The more he was around Alfred, the more accepting he became of him. Alfred said this was because they loved each-other. Arthur wondered how long he'd be in denial.

"Wh't h'pp'ns n'xt?" I d'n't w'nt ta read it." Alfred asked, his mouth still covered by his hand. He then uncovered his mouth. Arthur scooted closer to him, blushing. He was just starting to get used to this sort of affection.

"Well," he coughed, "the ugly duckling is taken in by a nice-"

"Lady?" Alfred asked, anxious to show that he knew stuff too. Or so Arthur guessed. He was still learning how to read Alfred's mind.

"A nice _woman._" Arthur corrected.

"And what else?" Alfred asked. One thing Arthur and him had in common was their love for books. This didn't need pointing out, but Arthur loved reminding himself.

"When spring comes, he leaves the woman's house. He finds a lake and some swans tell him they're family. He looks into the lake, see's his reflection and..."

"Aaand?" Alfred injected. Arthur sighed but smiled.

"And he saw-" The door flung open and Arthur and Alfred let out an 'eep' in unison.

"Hello babies! Aw look at you two!" said Arthur's mum. She walked over and pulled Alfred off Arthur's lap, not caring much if she hurt him. She lifted Arthur up a bit more carefully. Arthur frowned.

"Hi mum." he mumbled. He glanced at Alfred, who was rubbing his arm and sitting on his rump.

"I made you two soup and grilled cheese!" mum chirped. She offered the door for them and they walked out, followed by mum.

The boys walked down the stairs, weary not to run or get yelled at. They sat next to each-other at the table, nibbling on their food and giggling about various things. Mum sat across from them, watching. After a minute she cleared her throat. The boys got quiet.

"So, what were you two doing?" she asked. Alfred looked into his soup.

"We were, ah, reading. The ugly duckling." Arthur replied.

"I see." she mumbled and tapped her chin. Then she stopped and stared at 'the two'.

"I love that story. It shows how a nerd can turn out to be worth more than the rest of us." Alfred looked up.

"Worth more?" he asked, his voice dripping with concern.

"Of course! Today's society doesn't appreciate brains, but us with them know our own kind." she replied. She smirked and looked away, as if she knew something the rest of them didn't. The rest of them being everyone (excluding 'her kind'). Alfred made weird faces, which he sometimes did when he didn't understand something. Arthur frowned. Why did mum have to spoil everything? She had a bad habit of doing that, especially to people.

"I'll be in my room." mum said. And with that she left. Alfred scarfed down the rest of his lunch, Arthur right behind him. When they finished they ran up the stairs leading to Arthur's room, and Alfred ran over to where they'd been sitting. He waited. Arthur remembered he was supposed to sit, so he did. Alfred sat in his lap. Arthur tried to pick up the book, but Alfred stopped him by gently pushing it down.

"I want you to tell me the ending." Alfred said. Arthur kept himself from smiling.

"The ugly duckling went to the lake and found some swans. They said he was part of their family. He looked at his reflection and-" Arthur sighed, "and he was still ugly. But the swans loved him anyway. The end." Arthur expected Alfred to giggle. Silence.

"So I kind of don't get what your mum said then." Alfred mumbled. Arthur gave Alfred a reassuring squeeze.

"I don't either. She's crazy." He pecked Alfred's cheek and Alfred let out his signature giggle.

"Okay. Let's go play cops and robbers now! I claim cop!" Arthur smiled, happy to see Alfred back to his normal self.

"All right."


	11. Scented Letters

**_Sorry this took so long to get up! I had half of it written a week ago and never got around to finishing it. But oh well, hope you like!_  
**

**Chapter Eleven**

**Scented Letters**

"_Scented letters and butterfly kisses_

_Leave deeper marks than knives_

_Because you can't forget"_

Lyrics by me

"Dear Arthur..." Alfred mumbled while he scribbled the words on a piece of paper with a purple crayon.

"Too formal. Just call him Artie." Jackie assured him. Jackie was one of Alfred's daddies. Alfred's other daddy, Robert, would learn about the letter later. It was gonna be a surprise. (Even thought the letter wasn't for him, but Jackie said he'd like it anyway.)

"Dear," Alfred erased part of 'Arthur', "Artie," He paused.

"What should I write?" he asked quietly. Jackie waited a few moments before answering.

"Whatever you want him to know." he replied.

"Hmm...okay." Alfred mumbled. He started writing.

_Dear Artie,_

_Hello! This is Alfred. I just wanted to say that. I mean hello, not my name. Does your leg feel okay? If not, have your mummy kiss it. Robert says kisses make everything better. Okay I love you bye!_

_Love,_

_Alfred_ _Fitch Jones_

_P.S. I wrote my middle name! What's yours?_

_P.P.S. I like purple, but don't tell anyway cus purple isn't cool, you know?_

Alfred licked his lips and smiled proudly. He held up the paper for Jackie to see. Jackie picked it up and read it. He smiled and shook his head, handing it back to Alfred.

"Good job." he said with a thumbs-up. Alfred giggled and gave a thumbs-up back.

"Let's go show it to Robert." Jackie suggested. Alfred's eyes went wide. He blushed and looked away.

"Aw, but it's..." he thought of what word Arthur would say, "Private. A-And and-"

"But you let me see it. Besides, he'll love it." Jackie messed with Alfred's hair.

"Yeah, I guess." Alfred covered his face in embarrassment, the whole 'I just wrote a love letter and people are reading it' thing now hitting him. Well it wasn't really a _love _letter, but it kinda was. I mean, he said he loved Artie. So it was a little.

"Come on, he's reading in the parlor." Jackie said, taking Alfred's hand, which was a bit awkward seeing as Jackie had to lift it off Alfred's face. Alfred giggled and pulled his hand back. Jackie let out a 'rar' and pulled it back. Alfred burst into giggles and squished their hands against his cheek with all his might. Finally Jackie won the battle by picking Alfred up and lifting him over his shoulder, Alfred squealing the whole time and yelling "Ahhh Jackie put me down~!".

When they reached the parlor Jackie let Alfred down, and Robert looked up from his book.

"Hmm? What mischief are you two making?" Robert asking with a muffled laugh. Jackie grinned.

"Oh, Alfred just made something." he said, putting his face into an unconcerned pout. Alfred laughed and said "Stop it Jackie stop it!". Of course Jackie didn't.

"Oo~oh, I see. What sort of something?" Robert asked, his eyes gone wide and his hand covering his mouth. Alfred laughed harder.

"A letter sort of something." Jackie said with his grumpy face. He looked around, then at Alfred.

"Do you have the letter?" he asked. Alfred replied "no" through his giggles. Jackie's grumpy face left and he puckered his lips while lifting his eyebrows.

"I'll go get it." he said. He strutted off, his movements that of an exaggerated diva. Alfred was now on the floor laughing. He had calmed down by the time Jackie walked back in. Alfred sat up and looked around, anywhere but at Robert. He flushed as Robert read the letter. And Alfred had forgotten, now _everyone knew he liked purple!_ He squealed in embarrassment and buried his face in his hands. Robert laughed lightly and smiled, the kind of smile that Robert only gave when he really loved something. Or someone. (He was often flashing Robert these smiles, to which Alfred always 'ew'ed and stuck out his tongue.)

"It's lovely, dear." Robert said, handing it back to Alfred.

"I'm sure he'll love it." Alfred smiled against his palms.

"O-Okay." he whispered. Robert laughed and kissed Alfred's head. Alfred uncovered his face. Apparently everyone was sitting on the floor now. Alfred must have missed that while he was hiding.

"You know what the best kind of letters are?" Robert asked. Alfred shook his head.

"_Scented _letters." Alfred shook his head and Robert nodded. Jackie had a silly grin on his face and Alfred wondered why.

"When I was a little boy, Jackie wrote me a letter. He sprayed his daddy's cologne all over it, and I could never get the smell out of my head." Robert shook his head.

"Still can't, actually." Alfred smiled as he parents exchanged looks. Alfred almost giggled but his parents were being lovey dovey again, which was kinda gross. Even if Alfred and Artie were lovey dovey sometimes too. But that didn't count.

"Let's go put an envelope on this, shall we?" Robert said while wiping his eye.

"Sounds good." Jackie replied with a nod. Alfred nodded too.

"And we should spray it, too!" Alfred cheered. Jackie's smile widened. Robert bit his lip.

"Alright alright, you boys do whatever you want." Robert said. He got up and left the room. Jackie and Alfred got up and went to 'the daddies room'. Jackie pulled out a drawer in the dresser, and pulled out a bottle. He sprayed the letter then put the bottle away.

"And now for the envelope." he said while wiping his nose. Jackie sometimes did that when he was thinking. Alfred nodded and followed Jackie into the kitchen. In the closet where the envelopes, and Jackie pulled one out and put the letter inside. He licked and sealed it. Grabbing a pen off the table, he wrote down Arthur's address. Apparently Jackie had it memorized. We was good at those sort of things.

"Ready." Jackie concluded. He picked up the letter and him and Alfred walked outside, barefoot, to the mailbox and put it in for safe keeping.

"Bye~." Alfred whispered and blew it a kiss. Jackie smiled. And with that an adventure ended.


End file.
